Barça 5-0 Granadilla: Magnificent start

Barça, treble winners last season, have started the new one just as emphatically. The 5-0 win against Granadilla shows that they plan to carry on where they left off, winning games and scoring plenty of goals in the process.

But we should never be fooled into believing that these things are easy to do. Today’s first half showed, for although the Catalans dominated, creating no end of chances, with debutant Irene Paredes looking like she had played for the team forever, the first half hour ended with no score against a Granadilla side that is looking a lot stronger this season.

The opener finally came after 32 minutes. Aitana whizzed into the danger zone and whipped in a cross for Bruna to tap in for Barça’s first official goal of the season.

The goal truly opened up the flow of the game, and the same player scored the second, this time splendidly assisted by Mariona.

The 2,011 strong crowd at the Estadi Johan Cruyff were treated to a third goal straight after the restart. Graham Hansen and Mariona both shot in rapid succession before European Player of the Year Alexia banged home.

Melanie had only been on for a matter of moments before the same Alexia set her up for goal four, and the fifth was a brilliant piece of opportunism for Claudia Pina.

So it was a wonderful start to Jonatan Giráldez’s tenure as first team manager, as attention now turns to the first road trip of the Liga season, to Betis next Saturday at 12.30pm CEST.

MATCH STATS

FC Barcelona Femenino: Paños, Paredes, Mapi León, Ana Crnogorcevic (Martens, min 65), Marta Torrrejón, Patri, Alexia, Aitana (Claudia Pina, min 71), Bruna (Oshoala, min 65), Graham Hansen (Melanie, min 65) & Mariona (Rolfö, min 71).

Granadilla: Aline, Blom (Beattie, min 77), Martín Prieto, Aleksandra, Claire (María Estella, min 46), Natalia, Sandra (Paola, min 77), Mari Jose (Ariyo, min 59), Patri Gavira, Raquel Peña, Sara (Silvia Doblado, min 46).

Goals: 1-0, Bruna (min 32); 2-0, Bruna (min 35); 3-0, Alexia (min 54); 4-0, Patri Guijarro (min 68); 5-0, Claudia Pina (min 81).

Referee: Alicia Espinosa